Tuesday, 9 December 2014

This Clever Device Makes Your Bike Safer And Smarter

Texting
and driving might be bad, but have you ever tried riding a bike through
traffic, whilst trying to read Google Maps and texting your girlfriend?
You'll probably end up with a wing mirror in the kidneys, if you're
lucky. Thankfully, Kickstarter is On The Case.

The COBI
system wants to be a one-stop shop for everything bolted to your
handlebars. To that end, it's offering two main features: illumination,
and integration with your smartphone. The lights are pretty good on
their own: a bright LED front light, and a rear light that indicates
when you're braking and turning. But the smartphone integration is what
could make this more than just an overpriced set of lights.

When you're
riding, the waterproof mount for your phone (allegedly iOS and Android
compatible — presumably it's device-specific) and the app let you
monitor weather, gives directions and music controls, all while charging
your handset from the included 6000mAh battery. When you detach the
phone and move out of Bluetooth range, the same mount uses an internal
accelerometer to act like a car alarm — basically, making a lot of noise
if anyone tries to move it. You can also add on accessories like a
thumb controller, which communicate over Bluetooth.

All in,
it's a well thought-out package that could add impressive levels of
functionality, especially for anyone navigating a bike around an
unfamiliar part of town at night. It's probably a little overkill for
weight-weenie road bikers, but provided the COBI can make it past the
usual Kickstarter pitfalls (promising the world, delivering a product
made out of aluminium foil and pipe dreams), it could make life that
little bit easier for commuters. $159 for the basic package, or $205 for
the all-singing-all-dancing version